Tucker Carlson has issued a sincere apology after he implied that Israeli President Isaac Herzog had frequented the notorious island owned by Jeffrey Epstein, a figure mired in scandal.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who is also a former Fox News host, clarified in a video posted on X that Herzog and Epstein had no relationship whatsoever. “They didn’t know each other. They never emailed, they never were in the same room,” he emphasized.
Carlson’s apology came after Herzog’s team sent him a detailed letter rejecting the claims he made during an interview with Huckabee just a day earlier.
In that prior discussion, Carlson had suggested, “The current president of Israel, as you know, was apparently on Pedo Island. That’s what it says.” This statement was based on an AI-modified image circulated by a reporter, which was later revealed to be fake.
“Well, I think you would follow suit, because the senior Israeli officials who are still alive are directly involved in Epstein’s life, if not his crimes,” Carlson commented to Huckabee during the interview.
Known for his critical stance on U.S. and Israeli policies, Carlson noted that he often receives feedback about his views but acknowledged that Herzog’s team’s response was unusually forceful. “There’s nothing worse than tarnishing the reputation of an innocent person,” he remarked in the video.
He added, “So, just to be clear, I’m sorry for implying that I knew something that I didn’t. I was referring to that email and the protest against him. But I don’t have that information, and I didn’t mean to suggest otherwise.”
Epstein, who was a convicted sexual offender and a once-influential financier, died in a Manhattan prison in 2019 while awaiting trial for trafficking and other serious accusations.
Recently, Carlson also drew attention when he claimed he was “detained” by airport security in Israel, though this assertion was contradicted by airport footage showing him smiling and taking pictures with staff at Ben-Gurion Airport.
